Uetsu Main Line

Uetsu Main Line
Kirakira Uetsu (Joyful Train)
Overview
Native name	羽越本線うえつほんせん
Status	Operating
Owner	JR East
Locale	Niigata, Yamagata, Akita Prefectures
Termini	Niitsu Station Akita Station
Stations	61
Service
Type	Heavy rail
System	JR East
Operator(s)	JR East, JR Freight
History
Opened	September 2, 1912 (1912-09-02)
Technical
Track length	274.4 km (170.5 mi)
Number of tracks	Sections of double track and single track
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC, 20 kV AC 50 Hzへるつ
Operating speed	120 km/h (75 mph)
Route map

The Uetsu Main Line runs along the Sea of Japan. One of the tunnels on the right is for the Uetsu Main Line, and the other Japan National Route 345.

The Uetsu Main Line (羽越本線うえつほんせん, Uetsu-hon-sen) is a railway line in the Tohoku and Chubu regions of Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) system, it connects Niitsu Station in the city of Niigata and Akita Station in Akita. The name "Uetsu" refers to the ancient provinces of Dewa (出いずる羽はね) and Echigo (越こし後こう), which the line connects.

Route data

• Total length: 274.4 km (170.5 mi) (Fukushima–Aomori, Tsuchizaki–Akitakō)
• Operators, distances:
  • East Japan Railway Company (Services and tracks)
    • Niitsu — Akita: 271.7 km (168.8 mi)
  • Japan Freight Railway Company (Services and tracks)
    • Sakata — Sakata-Minato: 2.7 km (1.7 mi)
  • Japan Freight Railway Company (Services)
    • Niitsu — Akita: 271.7 km (168.8 mi)
• Tracks:
  • See station list for details
• Electrification:
  • Niitsu — Murakami: 1,500 V DC
  • Murakami — Akita: 20 kV AC, 50 Hz
• Railway signalling:
• Maximum speed:
  • Niitsu — Murakami: 120 km/h (75 mph)
  • Murakami — Imagawa: 100 km/h (62 mph)
  • Imagawa — Sanze: 95 km/h (59 mph)
  • Sanze — Sakata: 120 km/h (75 mph)
  • Sakata — Akita: 95 km/h (59 mph)

Services

Limited express, Rapid

As of March 2020, the following services are operated.

Name	Route	Service frequency (daily)
Limited Express Inaho	(Niigata) – Shibata – Sakata/Akita	7 return trips
Rapid Kairi	(Niigata) – Shibata – Sakata	1 return trip (weekends only)
Rapid Rakuraku Train Murakami	(Niigata) – Shibata – Murakami	1 down trip
Rapid Benibana	(Niigata) – Shibata – Sakamachi – (Yonezawa)	1 return trip

Local

Niitsu – Shibata: every 60-180 minutes

Shibata – Murakami: every 60-120 minutes

Murakami – Sakata: every 60-180 minutes

Sakata – Akita: every 60-180 minutes

Between Shibata and Murakami, most of the local trains travel through to/from Niigata via Hakushin Line.

Stations

A: Limited Express Inaho

B: Rapid Kairi

C: Rapid Rakuraku Train Murakami, Benibana and other Rapid service trains

Trains stop at stations marked "O", skip at stations marked "|".

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		A	B	C	Transfers		DC/AC	Location
		Between stations	Total
Niitsu	新津にいつ	-	0.0	Via Hakushin Line			■Shin'etsu Main Line ■Ban'etsu West Line	∨	1,500 V DC	Akiha-ku, Niigata	Niigata
Kyōgase	京ヶ瀬きょうがせ	6.1	6.1					◇		Agano
Suibara	水原みずはら	4.1	10.2					◇
Kamiyama	神山かみやま	3.7	13.9					｜
Tsukioka	月岡つきおか	3.9	17.8					◇		Shibata
Nakaura	中浦なかうら	3.7	21.5					｜
Shibata	新発田しばた	4.5	26.0	O	O	O	■Hakushin Line (some trains through to Murakami)	^
Kaji	加治かじ	4.3	30.3	|	|	|		∥
Kanazuka	金塚かなつか	5.0	35.3	|	|	|		∨
Nakajō	中条ちゅうじょう	3.8	39.1	O	O	O		^		Tainai
Hirakida	平木田ひらきた	5.6	44.7	|	|	|		∥
Sakamachi	坂町さかまち	3.3	48.0	O	O	O	■Yonesaka Line	∥		Murakami
Hirabayashi	平林ひらばやし	3.6	51.6	|	|	|		∨
Iwafunemachi	岩船いわふね町まち	3.6	55.2	|	|	|		◇
Murakami	村上むらかみ	4.2	59.4	O	O	O		^
Majima	間島まじま	7.1	66.5	|	|			∨	20 kV AC 50 Hz
Echigo-Hayakawa	越後早川えちごはやかわ	4.9	71.4	|	|			^
Kuwagawa	桑川くわがわ	6.9	78.3	|	O			∨
Imagawa	今川いまがわ	4.3	82.6	|	|			◇
Echigo-Kangawa	越後寒川えちごかんがわ	4.9	87.5	|	|			^
Gatsugi	勝木かつき	5.3	92.8	|	|			∨
Fuya	府屋ふや	3.1	95.9	O	|			^
Nezugaseki	鼠ヶ関ねずがせき	5.1	101.0	|	|			∥		Tsuruoka	Yamagata
Koiwagawa	小岩川こいわがわ	4.4	105.4	|	|			∨
Atsumi Onsen	あつみ温泉おんせん	4.4	109.8	O	O			^
Iragawa	五十川いそがわ	5.9	115.7	|	|			∥
Kobato	小波渡こばと	4.4	120.1	|	|			∥
Sanze	三瀬みせ	3.1	123.2	|	|			∥
Uzen-Mizusawa	羽前水沢うぜんみずさわ	5.7	128.9	|	|			∥
Uzen-Ōyama	羽前うぜん大山おおやま	4.5	133.4	|	|			∨
Tsuruoka	鶴岡つるおか	6.0	139.4	O	O			◇
Fujishima	藤島ふじしま	6.6	146.0	|	|			^
Nishibukuro	西袋にしぶくろ	5.1	151.1	|	|			∥		Shōnai, Higashitagawa
Amarume	余目あまるめ	3.6	154.7	O	O		■Rikuu West Line	∥
Kita-Amarume	北余目きたあまるめ	2.7	157.4	|	|			∥
Sagoshi	砂越さごし	3.0	160.4	|	|			∥		Sakata
Higashi-Sakata	東ひがし酒田さかた	3.3	163.7	|	|			∥
Sakata	酒田さかた	3.2	166.9	O	O		JR Freight Uetsu Freight Branch Line (to Sakata-Minato)	∥
Mototate	本楯もとたて	6.4	173.3	|				∨
Minamichōkai	南みなみ鳥海とりうみ	2.6	175.9	|				◇
Yuza	遊佐ゆさ	3.2	179.1	O				^		Yuza, Akumi
Fukura	吹浦ふくら	7.0	186.1	|				∨
Mega	女鹿めが	3.6	189.7	|				◇
Kosagawa	小砂川こさがわ	5.1	194.8	|				◇		Nikaho	Akita
Kamihama	上浜かみはま	3.7	198.5	|				◇
Kisakata	象潟きさかた	4.9	203.4	O				◇
Konoura	金浦このうら	5.8	209.2	|				^
Nikaho	仁賀保にかほ	5.5	214.7	O				∨
Nishime	西目にしめ	8.4	223.1	|				^		Yurihonjō
Ugo-Honjō	羽後本荘うごほんじょう	5.8	228.9	O		O	■Yuri Kōgen Railway Chōkai Sanroku Line	∥
Ugo-Iwaya	羽後うご岩谷いわたに	7.1	236.0	|		O		∥
Oriwatari	折渡おりわたり	4.7	240.7	|		↓		∨
Ugo-Kameda	羽後うご亀田かめだ	3.0	243.7	|		O		◇
Iwaki-Minato	岩城いわきみなと	6.5	250.2	|		↓		｜
Michikawa	道川みちかわ	1.6	251.8	|		↓		^
Shimohama	下浜しものはま	6.6	258.4	|		↓		∨		Akita
Katsurane	桂根かつらね	3.4	261.7	|		↓		◇
Araya	新屋あらや	4.0	265.7	|		O		◇
Ugo-Ushijima	羽後牛島うごうしじま	3.3	269.0	|		O		◇
Akita	秋田あきた	2.7	271.7	O		O	Akita Shinkansen ■Ōu Main Line ■Oga Line	^

Symbols:

• | - Single-track
• ◇ - Single-track; station where trains can pass
• ^ - Double-track section starts from this point
• ∥ - Double-track
• ∨ - Single-track section starts from this point

Rolling stock

Present

Local

• E129 series 2/4-car DC EMUs (Niitsu—Murakami, since December 2014)
• 701 series 2/3-car AC EMUs (Sakata—Akita)
• KiHa 110 series (Niitsu - Nezugaseki)
• GV-E400 series (Niitsu-Sakata, since August 2019)

Inaho/Rakuraku Train Murakami

• E653-1000 series 7-car DC/AC EMUs (since September 2013)

Kairi

• HB-E300 series

• 
  701 series passing Omonogawa Bridge
• 
  E653 series Inaho, near Higashi-Sakata Station
• 
  Kairi at Shibata Station, April 2020

Former

• 115 series DC EMUs (Niitsu—Murakami, until March 2018)
• E127-0 series 2-car DC EMUs (Shibata—Murakami, until March 2015)
• KiHa 40/47/48 series DMUs (Until March 2020)
• KiHa E120 DMUs (Niitsu—Sakata, until March 2018)
• KiHa 58 series DMUs
• KiHa 52 DMUs
• 485 series DC/AC EMUs (until July 2014) - Inaho, Hakucho, Rakuraku Train Murakami

• 
  E127 series and 115 series at Murakami Station, March 2009
• 
  KiHa 40/47/48 series, Amarume - Nishibukuro, March 2017
• 
  KiHa 40/47/48 series, Tsuruoka - Fujishima, October 2016
• 
  KiHa E120 and 110 at Sakamachi Station, July 2009
• 
  485 series Hakucho limited espress, Akita Station, 1987
• 
  485-3000 series Inaho limited express, Kosagawa - Kamihama, March 2014

History

The line was opened in sections between 1912 and 1924, and electrified in 1972, the same year CTC signalling was commissioned.

Work to double-track the line in sections commenced in 1957, and continued for 25 years until being suspended due to capital expenditure restrictions in 1983, at which time 51% of the route was double-tracked.

On July 28, 2022, JR East announced that ridership in some sectors was less than 2000 persons/day, the deficit for the sector between Murakami Station to Tsuruoka Station being 4,990 billion yen, the largest deficit within the JR East system.

Accidents

On December 25, 2005, all six cars of a limited express train Inaho No.14 on the Uetsu Line derailed in Yamagata prefecture, about 350 kilometres (220 mi) north of Tokyo. The train was headed south towards Kita-Amarume Station. Three of the cars turned over, causing the deaths of five people and injuring 33 others. Three other persons were originally reported missing, but authorities later discovered that they had disembarked from the train before the accident. It is likely that the event was caused by a tornado although it is uncertain whether or not a tornado was involved with this accident.

References

• JR全線ぜんせん全ぜん駅えきステーション倶楽部くらぶ編へん(上うえ) [Complete JR Line/Station Compendium (Vol. 1)] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Bunshun Bunko. September 1988. p. 236-248. ISBN 4-16-748701-2.

External links

• Inaho - JR East (in English)
• Kairi - JR East (in English)
• Discover Uetsu, tourist website (in English)